The Loser's Circle
by El-Queso
Summary: What if Cho and Harry were the same age? The two happen to meet a year before they find out they are witch and wizard, and the rest, as they say in Ravenclaw, is history. Cho/Harry, both friendship and Romance.
1. The meeting

A/N: Please Review, this story is one that took me forever to sit down and write. **READ IMPORTANT: Cho and Harry are the same age, and they happen to meet in school 1 year before they go to hogwarts. Cho is a muggleborn. This story will kost likely have the first 2 or three chapters pre-hogwarts, then the rest of the chapters continuing into hogwarts.**

Story Summary: What if Cho and Harry were the same age? The two happen to meet a year before they find out they are witch and wizard, and the rest, as they say in Ravenclaw, is history. Cho/Harry, both friendship and Romance.

"Harry!" It was a girl's voice, perhaps a young woman's, but he couldn't see her. He frantically tried to open his eyes, but it seemed that was as likely as him lifting a 1000 pound weight. "Harry, don't let them take me! Harry! HARRRRRRRYYYY!" The latter was an ear-piercing scream that caused him to flinch so hard that he slammed into a wall.

No, not a wall...

He groaned loudly as he lifted himself off the floor, blood dripping off his nose. He had fallen off his bed and flat on his face. He stood up and shook his head, which was rather foolish in retrospect, because that caused his nose to drip red goo faster.

He grabbed his least favorite shirt, the one that had the graphic lightning on the chest, and wiped is face off. He then tried the knob on his handle and sighed with relief when the door to his cabinet opened. He stepped outside to find Two out of Three of the people he hated most: Petunia and Vernon, both sitting on a couch, one reading the local paper and the other knitting.

"Where's the tissues?" He asked loudly. When neither of them moved a muscle, he sighed and repeated; " Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, will you please tell me where the Tissues are?" in the most respectful voice he could muster. "That's better," Growled Uncle Vernon, his mustache twitching. Petunia just muttered, "Kitchen counter,", noticeably venomously.

Harry nodded and headed that way, stuffing his nose and then headed back to the cupboard to get ready for school. "You better get your ass in gear, boy, your already late." Harry glanced up at the clock and gasped. 9:20. He was almost half an hour late! Mrs. Vesters was going to absolutely _murder_ him.

"Why didn't someone come and get me?" He asked frantically. Petunia huffed, looking almost insulted, and said, "It's not our responsibility to wake you up in the morning." And she resumed clicking her sewing needles.

"Well it's not like you've bought me an alarm clock..."  
>"Buy your own." Huffed Vernon, his mustache twitching again.<br>"You don't pay me to do my chores!"  
>"Ever heard of a job, boy?"<br>"I'm ten!" protested Harry, his eyes tearing up in frustration. "ENOUGH!" shouted Vernon. He was obviously frustrated as well, because he slammed his paper onto the coffee table. "GET TO SCHOOL, BOY!"

Ten minutes later, Harry sprinted into the classroom, nearly running into Mrs. Vesters. Ah, dear Vesters.. She was extremely tall, perhaps 6'5, with a long, hooked nose and brown hair that formed a neat curtain around her head, opening to reveal her specs, nose, and mouth. Her body was perfectly stock straight, no curves, no bumps to credit her woman-hood. It was as if Puberty had evaded her entirely. Her voice was that of someone who had been shouting their whole life: Shrill yet oddly intimidating,

"Ah, Master Potter, late again, almost by 45 minutes this round. What's your story this time? Your Uncle forgot to wake you again?" The tone of her voice obviously suggested she wouldn't believe that for a second. "Yes" panted Harry. "Nevertheless, Potter, sit down, and see me after class for your detention slip." Harry bowed his head in shame as the entire class laughed at him. Someone even threw an eraser, and it hit him straight in the forehead. He glared up to see Dudley Dursley, his cousin and numero tres on the hate list, already getting another ready.

"That is enough!" shouted Vesters in her surprisingly loud voice. "Potter, sit down. NOW."

The day after that was the usual. Sometimes a person would launch a mean look or even a spitball his way, but he didn't mind to terribly. He just sat in the back corner and doodled the whole time, never once glancing up.

After a lunch of sitting on the old rickety swing set alone, Harry plopped down his Back corner seat with a sigh. It was Science, and, as it had been since day one, he had no lab partner. But, when Mrs. Vesters walked into class after everyone had taken their seats, she had a surprise with her.

A young Asian girl stood with her. She had her hair pulled back into a simple ponytail, which allowed her strikingly beautiful face to show. She wore red t-shirt and blue skinny jeans that made it obvious she was already rather curvy, for a 10 year old. All the boys in the class immediately sat straight up, some already had goo-goo eyes.

"Class, this is our new student." Announced Vesters, "Her name is Cho Chang. Please be kind." Harry inwardly laughed. He had a feeling the boys were going to be _very_ kind too her.

He bowed his head towards his "notebook" and started to doodle again. This time it was a motorcycle flying through clouds, an idea he got from a dream a few nights ago. However, his attention was immediately pulled back up to the front when his name was said. "Well, Harry, it looks like you'll finally get a lab partner." The class snickered, but Harry didn't care. He was elated. It couldn't be...

"Cho, please go take your seat next to Harry." Verners said, turning to the board and beginning to write the period's assignment. Cho looked around, confused because Vesters had never told her who Harry was. She finally spotted the only empty seat in the classroom. As she headed for it, she found it curious that some students were whispering "Sorry," and "You poor thing," as she walked to the seat.

She sat down in the seat and flattened out her shirt, before sparing a glance at her lab partner. He was in an oversized shirt, one that looked like it could fit the fat boy she noticed near the front of the room. He wore simple jeans that were way to baggy, again they looked like they could fit a very obese person. His hair was long, and she saw the most curious scar on his forehead just where his hair parted. It looked like lightning. Behind his round glasses were the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. They were emerald green.

Harry looked over at the girl as she sat down. She glanced over at him and he quickly averted his eyes, going back to doodling in his book. She felt her eyes studying him, however, and he felt his cheeks turn slightly pink.

"Okay, class!" Shrieked Vesters to quiet down the children. "Today, you will all use your knowledge of mixtures and compounds to filter the dirt in the cup of water I gave you. You and your partners have the rest of the hour. The first to get it done and turn in the conclusion gets a bonus 5 points. Now, GET TO IT!" The half of the class that had zoned out flinched when she ended the sentence, and everyone slowly got ready.

Harry sighed. He wasn't really sure how to work with a partner. He usually just skipped the experiment part and wrote a haphazard conclusion for a solid D+. He looked at Cho and it was immediately obvious that she was a very intelligent person. She opened her notebook and wrote in big, gorgeous cursive: CONCLUSION, before turning to the materials: A cup of rather dirty water, 5 other empty cups, several layers of small strips of mesh and a spoon. She studied it for some time, and eventually Harry got bored and started adding detail to the handlebars of the motorcycle.

"Excuse me?" Cho asked the boy sitting next to her. "Um excuse me?" He ignored her. It was as if he had never been talked to before. "Hello?" She said louder. He frowned slightly and looked at her. "Are you talking to me?" He asked in a disbelieving voice. Cho nodded. "Your name's Harry, right? That's what the teacher said. " "Yeah, and your names Cho." He spoke with the tone of voice one does when cooing a scared animal; with the anticipation it would lash out and bite him any second.

She offered him a smile that absolutely took his breath away. "Yes, thank you. So, I think I know what to do, will you please help me?" Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. She wanted his help. Didn't she know who he was? He was Harry Potter, the most useless and meaningless person on the planet. "A-are you sure? I'm not very smart, you know." Cho giggled, a soft laugh that sent shivers up his spine. "Of course you are, you just don't know it yet."

A half an hour later, with Cho's help, Harry had finished the lab and turned in an exceptional conclusion for it, allowing the two almost 25 minutes of free time.

Cho just kind of stared around the room, taking everything in, while Harry turned back to his notebook.

"Wow." Harry turned to see Cho staring at his book, open mouthed. "What?" He asked. Panic took him over. Had he done something wrong? Would she perpetually hate him now, just like the rest of the world? She pointed at his notebook. He relaxed and laughed. "These? Oh these are just doodles." Cho gaped. "Doodles?" Then she smiled. "Doodles? Hah, Harry, these are masterpieces. You are an artist. I wish I could draw like that." Harry turned slightly pink and he whispered. "Years of practice, I suppose. You are really smart." He said the last part really fast, nervous about how she would take a compliment.

"You are really smart." He said it so fast, she barely caught it. But she was still flattered. "Thank you so much!" She looked up when she heard Mrs. Vesters' voice, berating the young Fat lad and his mate, the rat-faced boy. "You Two! I did not ask you to pelt one another with the dirt! Twenty points from Slytherin-" She caught herself at the last word and covered her mouth in shock. Next to her, Cho heard Harry say, "What did she just say?" Cho shrugged and stared, confused, at Vesters.

"What did she just say?" Harry whispered. Next to him, Cho shrugged and continued to stare, and so did the rest to the class, at their red faced teacher.

"Well?" Asked Vesters. "Keep working, you lot!" And she walked back to her desk. The pair in the back kept silent, contemplating, as the rest of the class went about hustling and bustling. Finally, Cho said, "She's really ugly, isn't she?" Harry chuckled and said, "Yeah, it's like puberty totally avoided her." They both laughed quietly, as too avoid attention. Harry grinned and said, "The development is not strong in this one," Cho stopped laughing and gave him a weird look. Harry turned Red. VERY red. "I think I heard that on one of those space movies," He said sheepishly. Cho stared at him for another 5 seconds. Then she broke into laughter. She laughed so hard you couldn't hear it, so she clapped her hands like an odd walrus. Harry giggled as well, then he started laughing with her. They spent the rest of the period talking about different things, such as their hobbies, their family (A topic in which Harry chose not to go too in depth on) and their favorite school subjects.

When the bell finally rang after language arts two hours later, Harry bade Cho goodbye quickly and left, leaving her confused as to why he left in such a hurry. The truth was, after school, Dudley pretty much had free reign to torture him, but as long as Harry beat him outside, Dudley would take the bus and Harry could walk home and sneak into his cupboard when Dudley was upstairs "Doing Homework" aka playing computer games, with any luck. Harry sprinted outside and made it out through the doors, but he was not fast enough.

Dudley grabbed him from the back of his collar and pulled him back. "Ah, here's ickle lil' Hawwy, awwww..." He said in mock happiness. The rest of his cronies laughed at him. Dudley let him down, and turned him away by the shoulders. "Dudley, what are you- AHHHHHH!" Harry yelled as his underpants were pulled up and placed over his head, so his groin was practically screaming. Dudley kicked him down and they all walked away towards the bus, making sure to kick dirt on him.

Harry sighed and berated himself for not running fast enough and pulled the overly stretched underwear off his head and stuffed it in his pants, much to the amusement of the children walking by. He began to walk home when he heard a voice behind him, "That was really mean,"

Cho could not believe what she was seeing. She had just stepped outside for and not two feet away from the door, The fat boy and his friends were kicking dirt all over Harry as they walked away, leaving him lying there with a pair of underwear stretched over his head. She watched him sit up and stuff the undergarments back into his pants, and he simply got up to walk away, as if it was nothing. She just couldn't believe it. She got the sense that he was not popular, but _this_? She regained control of her legs and ran forward. "That was mean," She said, the only words that would come to mind.

Harry turned and offered a small, fake smile. "Happens a lot. Don't pay much mind too it." He walked away. She couldn't believe it. Someone this genuine, sweet, funny, handsome, smart, and artistic walked this Earth, and that is what he got in return? She ran forward to catch up with him and asked "Where do you live?"

"Where do you live?" To say the question caught Harry off guard was an understatement. "Uhhh.." Cho smiled and said in a voice sweet as cotton candy, "Well, I didn't mean that in a creeper-ish way, I just was wondering so we could walk together." Harry frowned. "Why?" He asked. Cho raised an eyebrow, her head cocked to the side. "Well, I want to walk with you?" She a tried. "Again, why?" Now Cho huffed, blowing a stray hair out of her face. "Because you're a nice guy." Harry laughed. It was a sound that contained such bittersweet resentment that Cho wanted to gag. "Don't you get it Cho? I'm the loser! The outcast! You could make so many better friends, you saw how many people jumped out of their seats. I'm Harry Potter, Cho, and you should probably get out of the loser's circle while you can!"

"-And you should probably get out of the losers circle while you can!" Cho gaped. Was this what all those bullies made Harry think about himself? She saw not a loser, but one of the coolest people she'd ever met, and she'd only known him for maybe 3 hours. She noticed a stray tear fall down his cheek, and she lifted her thumb to wipe it off. "They're the losers," She whispered.

Harry softly pushed her hand away and sighed. "See ya, Cho." But she didn't let him get away. They walked together in silence for some time, before Cho said, "Will you teach me to draw like that?" Harry looked at her quickly. "What?" "Come on, your a great artist-" "I'm no artist." Harry stated, although he had to keep the corners of his lips down in satisfaction. "Oh, come off it, I can see it already, your paintings in all of France's best museums-" Cho said, adopting a laughable motivational voice. "Stop!" Laughed Harry, his hand flying to the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Oh, and what does the plaque say under each and everyone of them?" Harry turned his head away to hide his laughter. Cho grinned and now spoke in a very bad French accent; "Le Harrison Potter, Le Magnifique!" Harry laughed and so did Cho, their voices filling the air with the joyous sounds of happiness.

"Okay, Okay, I'll teach you to draw, just stop doing that!" Cho came to a sudden stop, almost causing Harry to fall on his face for the second time today. "Great, thanks Harry, See ya!" She gave him a quick hug and then dashed off to the front door of the house she had stopped in front of. , before disappearing inside it.

Harry stood there. A hug. So that's what one felt like. He allowed a dreamy smile to occupy his lips. He could get used to that. He looked around, realizing he had gotten so lost in Cho's company that he had no idea he followed her to her house. It was alright, however, he was only a block or two from his house, and he began to trek home, and the only thought that kept his mind company was: _"Could I finally have a friend?"_

A/N please review!


	2. New Developments

A/N: Thanks to the reviews, Favorites, and story alerts of the the first chapter, I've decided to continue. However, I've gotten a few suggestions to revamp my Dialogue, So I'll try. Sorry if it's not good enough, but you can't please everyone.

One week later.

Harry made his way into the hallway of his school, stepping over a foot who's intent was too trip him, and made his way to the small locker he had at the end of the hallway.

He yawned audibly and glanced at the clock on the wall. 8:55. He had 5 minutes to get to class.

Slowly pulling books out of his back pack, he began to stack them randomly in the metal box. He needed to hurry, he really needed to go the bathroom before class started. Just as he was pulling his hand out, his locker slammed with a loud "Bang!". He pulled his arm back with a high-pitched yelp and glared the perpetrator.

"Sorry!" Laughed Cho as Harry nursed his hand. "You big wimp, I didn't even clip your hand."

"Sorry," grumbled Harry. "My life just passed before my eyes."

Cho rolled her eyes and turned to her own locker, conveniently located only 4 down from Harry's. "What's got you in a mood?"

Harry shrugged and turned to go to class, in no mood for conversation, not even from his only friend.

Noticing the way he was carrying his bag, Cho suddenly spun him around and lifted his sleeve up.

"Harry!" She gasped, her eyes widening. On Harry's left bicep there was a bruise the size of a baseball. "Where's that from?"

"Dudley," muttered Harry. Cho's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "You can't get anyone to stop it?"

"No. Cho, seriously, don't concern yourself with it, honestly, I'm more than capable than handling my own problems." Harry said, wincing as he hefted his backpack higher on his arm.

Cho stomped her foot and adopted her "angry" face, something that was almost laughable to Harry, considering she was a very un-intimidating person. "It doesn't look like it! Almost every day, it's a new set of cuts and bruises." Harry rolled his eyes and turned towards the bathrooms. "Harry, we could tell my Dad, or the principal or even Vesters-"

"Just shut up about it, alright!" He snapped whipping around in a sudden flair of temper. He winced as the multiple bruises on his body punished him, and collapsed onto his left knee, tears spilling from his eyes, spilling down his contorted face, giving him the look of a sad puppy. Well, a rather constipated puppy, but a puppy nonetheless.

Cho immediately ran forward and gingerly placed her arms on his shoulders, not really sure at this point what was bruised and what was not. "Harry, I didn't mean to make you mad! I'm so sorry, are you ok?"

"Yes." Harry hissed. He appreciated her concern, but at this point she was really only making it worse. He stood up and immediately made his way, half limping, into the boy's bathroom, not sparing a glance back at Cho.

He stopped at the sinks and splashed some of the questionably brownish water onto his face, breathing heavily, praying the stinging would go away.

He sighed with relief as the majority of the pain subsided, and he stepped into one of the stalls to take care of business.

Two minutes later, Harry was fast walking through the almost empty hallway to make it to Vesters, when he almost tripped over his shoelace. Luckily, he balanced himself on one of the lockers before he could fall and the bruises could began their onslaught yet again. He bent over to tie it, when he hear two unfamiliar voices from the room next to him.

He glanced up to the plaque next to the door and read "Teacher's Lounge."

Harry scooted a little closer and moved his ear closer to the crack in the door. "Honestly, Headmaster, I swear that this job gets more and more tedious. The boy has absolutely nothing special about him. He's more useless than the bastard who conceived him." This voice was a drawl, a masculine voice that seemed to make a point of making a one syllable word a 3 syllable word.

"Take my Word for it, Professor, he's a very powerful boy, you just need to observe more carefully." This was a cheerful elderly man voice.

"Sir, I say we just give it up, I beg you. I want nothing more than to-"

"I'm sorry, professor, but at this point with this mission it really does not matter what you want. " The old man somehow managed to keep his voice cheerful and optimistic despite the commanding nature of his sentence. He continued: "Just drink them, please. In a few months you'll be back at Hogwarts, it'll fly bye, I promise."

Harry's head was swimming. "_Hogwarts? What's that? It sounds odd. And who are these men! I've never heard them here before! Should I Report them to the principal_?"

He heard a "gulp" followed by groaning and hissing, before he the old man said, "Now the voice-changing one, if you please."

Another "gulp" ensued.

"I'm not sure which one is more disgusting." Stated a new voice. Harry's eyes flew open. This was a person he was all-too familiar with.

"Vester!" Harry gasped. "Now if you'll excuse me, headmaster, I have some muggles to... _educate_." Vester said the word muggles like it was a swear word. But Harry had far more on his mind. "_Where did the man go? Why is Vester in there? What's disgusting? What the bloody hell is happening_?"

"Do Have a good day today, Professor. Keep an eye on him, if you wouldn't mind too terribly." Than Harry heard a loud "Pop!" like a bubblegum bubble bursting, just before he barely dodged the door when it swung open.

Vester was on him in moments. "Potter!" She shrieked, "How much did you hear?"

Harry struggled to his feet. "Nothing!" He panted in a panic. "I was in the bathroom, and I was on my way, and i needed to tie my shoes, that's all! I swear I was on my way too class!" The look on Vester's face did more than indicate she didn't believe him for a second. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Potter, you are a terrible liar," Was all that made it out of her shattered throat before she took him be the ear and dragged him too class.

She shoved him in the room first before brushing past him and immediately began writing the day's lesson plan on the board.

Harry sighed and made his way to the back, again stepping over an obviously placed foot, and sat down in his seat, Cho's eyes never leaving him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, class, but I caught Master Potter sneaking the halls." The class (besides Cho) All went, "Oooooohhh!" And many leaned forward, eager to hear Vesters'Punishment.

It never came, instead Vesters continued, "You can all thank Mr. Potter, because of that incident, I've decided to give you all a Pop Quiz on _next_ week's Homework." The class groaned and many began to shout, "Thanks a lot, Pottey!" And, "You idiot!" and things of said nature.

Harry felt Cho Chang patting his thigh gently, her eyes never leaving the front of the room.

Harry just stared at Vesters, his glare getting fiercer, until it seemed as if the Glare itself would push her back.

Why did she have to single him out like this? He wasn't even late! What did he do? What had he done too her, no, what had he done to practically the whole world to make them all hate him with such a _passion_? He felt his anger bubble up inside him, and his glare intensified.

And suddenly, just as Vesters was picking up the papers out of her drawer, she was violently thrown forward and she landed headfirst on the ground in front of her desk. The papers spilled everywhere, filling the air like some sort of confetti.

Harry and the rest of the class jumped when it happened. How? "She can't have slipped," Harry thought, "No one slips and then flies over their desk." For some odd reason, Harry felt like he was at fault, even though he had never left his seat.

But, despite convincing himself it was not his fault, He still couldn't fight back an overpowering sense of satisfaction. He glanced at Cho to see her giving him and odd look, and he immediately figured out why: He had subconsciously been smiling. Hugely.

Vesters laid sprawled on the floor for a full thirty seconds before she picked herself up.

Her eyes, for some reason, had already found Harry's and they narrowed suspiciously. "Sorry class, I must have... tripped." Harry met her gaze evenly, his lips still pulled slightly in a smile.

-

Harry kicked a rock off the sidewalk and onto the street as he slowly put one foot in front of the other, thinking. What had caused Vesters to fly over her desk like that? It was rather funny to watch, but, looking back on it, it was actually quite frightening. If the whole thing had gotten on camera, it could actually pass for a decent scene in a Horror Movie.

It couldn't be ghosts could it? Could their school really be haunted? And still, Harry could not shake the feeling that it was somehow connected to him. He felt such a strange sense of satisfaction, of power when it happened.

Slightly ahead of him, Cho had fascinated herself with a ladybug that had landed on her shoulder. She placed her finger just ahead of its zig-zagging path so it would crawl on it. Once it Did, she pushed it gently into the air, and it started flying away.

Harry would have thought the whole scene was rather beautiful, had he not been so focused on his feet.

Cho turned around impatiently and put her hands on her hips. "C'mon Potter, you're slower than-than-"

Harry looked up and smirked. "What's the matter Chang? Your super-powered Brain out of clever ways to make fun of me?"

Cho turned slightly red and glared at him. "Just hurry up, Harry!" She snapped, turning away and beginning a brisk walk away.

Harry hitched up his large trousers and jogged over too catch up with her. "What's got your bun in a bunch?" He grinned, playfully bouncing the bun she chose to wear that day.

She swatted his hand away and glared at him. "I'm mad at you, Harry James Potter!"

She walked even faster in her anger, causing Harry to pull his pants up too his mid-belly and jog even faster. "Yeah? Why?" He panted. Man, those clothes were heavy!

She stopped Abruptly, causing Harry to skirt to a stop and begin to fall over, but Cho grabbed his hand and pulled him up to balance. Once he was righted, she glared and half-yelled: "Because you won't tell anyone what that horrid boy is doing too you!" She stomped her foot for emphasis.

Harry looked around, realizing some of the school children were looking at them. He whispered; "Cho, it's not that bad, really. I can handle it-"

"No, you cannot, Harry!" She was now fully yelling. "It hurts, I can tell! Just tell someone!" Now people were stopping and staring.

Harry gave the people looking at them a sheepish smile and he leaned closer to her too whisper, "Cho, you're attracting attention,"

"I don't care!" she snapped folding her arms. The seven or eight people that were watching sniggered.

Harry leaned closer to her ear and said, so low only she would hear it, "Cho, please calm down. If I tell Verners tomorrow, will it make you happy?"

Cho huffed again and her glare softened a little. "Yes, actually. I'm sorry I made a scene." She unfolded her arms and snapped, "Pull down your pants!" Before pushing past the gathering of people. Harry sighed and pulled down his pants, before jogging to keep up with her.

As the two made a beeline for her house, Harry decided he still liked her when she was mad.

Harry walked slowly into class the next day, not surprised to see Verners at her desk. He began to walk towards her desk slowly. She did not not notice him approaching, instead keeping her focus on grading yesterday's pop quiz. Halfway to her desk, he thought, "_Later, maybe,"_ and he suddenly veered off-course, instead heading for his seat.

He didn't make it four steps. Cho was sitting at her seat, her arms folded, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

He inwardly groaned and spun around again, approaching her desk. "Um, Miss. Vesters?" He asked slowly.

"It's **Mrs**. Vesters, Master Potter," She snapped.

"Uh, yeah." Said Harry. "So, uh, I kinda have a bullying problem." He said, trying to keep from twiddling his thumbs. He wished this would hurry up. More people were showing up for class, and if Dudley heard him, he was absolutely dead.

Mrs. Vesters glanced up and frowned. "Who is said "bully", Potter?" she asked.

"Uh, my cousin, Dudley." Harry said.

"Hm. Interesting. On or off school Grounds?"

Harry frowned. Than he responded: "Well, he's never beats me up in school, but he does outside of it, see?" He pulled up his arm to reveal the bruises.

Mrs. Vesters took her glasses of and sighed. "Fine. I will talk with the boy. Now take your seat!"

-

"That's all she said?" Asked Cho. She already looked very mad.

"Yeah." Harry shrugged, shifting his position on the lunch table uncomfortably.

Cho took a thoughtful bite of her apple before saying, "Well, that won't cut it. We'll need to tell someone else."

Harry sighed. "Please Cho, I did what you wanted. Please, please drop it.

"But-"

"_Please!_"

Cho fell silent. Finally she said, "Well, I had a question for you, anyway." She said, her mood lightening.

Harry raised his eyebrows too show he was listening as he sipped at his juice box.

Cho smiled as she said, "My father said it would be ok if you came to my house for dinner tonight."

Harry choked on his fruit punch, coughing and spluttering. Cho gasped and quickly began to pat his back to stop the choking.

Once the ordeal was over, Harry put his head on the table panting. Cho was stifling laughter at his un-traditional reaction, but he didn't care.

"You mean it?" He asked, his voice hopeful and confused.

Cho tried smirked, although she failed spectacularly, as she was still trying too stifle a laugh. "Of course, silly. You are my friend after all."

Harry gaped. She was his friend? Neither of them had yet addressed what they were yet, but now it was all out on the table. "Yeah, sure Cho." He smiled. "And, you're my Friend, too."

-

The black robes behind the man flapped furiously in the wind, but the greasy-haired man payed no mind as he stood at the street corner. The nighttime chill bit at his face like a hungry blood-hound, but he kept his eyes trained on the house.

A rustle could be heard before a grey cat walked out of a bush and rubbed against his leg. He whispered in a drawl that hardly allowed his lips movement: "Hello, Professor." The Cat meowed in response and plopped it's rump on the ground next to him.

They stayed like that for maybe 10 minutes, the black-haired man never moved, and the Cat stayed still except for the occasional ear flick or tail twitch.

Finally, the door to Number 4 Privet Drive opened and closed with haste. The small, lightning-scarred child began to walk away from the odd pair on the street corner.

They followed him for maybe 5 minutes before he stopped at a red house, crossed the lawn, and ding-donged the door. The door opened, flooding the front yard and part of the street with light, and the two heard sounds of excitement and welcoming before the door closed with a bang, leaving them in startling darkness and silence.

"Interesting..." Murmured the tall man, before crouching on his knees, offering the Cat a treat he produced from his pocket and he muttered, "How likely, do you suppose, is it that two muggle-raised wizards meet and become such close friends, after only a week?"

The cat mewed in response and he murmured, "My thoughts exactly, Professor." He stood up, brushing the remaining crumbs off his hands, and he approached the window of the house. He watched a tall man, The girl's father, no doubt, presenting food to the Children.

The Potter boy was sitting facing him, and he was smiling that Potter smile that he loathes so much. His bright green eyes, so much like Lily's, were shining as he joked and passed food about the table.

Then there was a car that drove by, casting light on the man. The boy looked up and frowned.

The man moved away and walked towards the street, angry with himself for being so careless. He was certain the boy had seen him when the infernal muggle contraption cast it's light upon him.

He walked past the Cat, who was still sitting in the same spot on the sidewalk, and said, "Goodnight, Professor, I have quizzes to grade." And his black figure disappeared into the darkness as he walked away.

The Cat gave one final "mew" before darting into a bush, leaving the night silent and alone.

A/N: So this will be the last quick update, as School starts again soon.. Review, If you please. Also, sorry if it is rather off, My computer has been acting odd lately. Also, remember to check my profile page for update schedule, and other stories. Also, if you're looking for new stories but can't seem to find the ideas, well I have 5 or so fics that I abandoned up for adoption. Juts visit my Profile for the details. Thanks!


	3. Dinner at the Changs

A/N: Sorry for the long update. Long story short: School came into play.

Wow, this story has over 21 favorites/ alerts in only two chapters! This is unexpected. I've been notified that my dialogue is confusing, yes I know, but believe me I'm doing my absolute best. Please, just bear with me. I'll answer some of my Reviews after this chapter is through. :).

Also I'd like to address the confusion on the teacher's name, as I had accidentally switched between calling her "Verners" and "Vesters" and I have no idea why. I'd like too personally put an end to this confusion. It's Vesters, and It will remain that way for the rest of the story.

The day had left Harry as restless as a caged dog, and for good reason. He had told on Dudley, and only now was he realizing the magnitude of that mistake.

He was lounging on the old scrapped bench on the side of the house. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but he had walked inside the house an hour before and immediately decided he didn't want to be there. Uncle Vernon was attempting to play a video game with Dudley, and it only took one look at his beet red, sweat factory of a face to see that he was doing terribly.

So Harry had secluded himself to this black bench that was missing a few panes of wood and an arm, as too avoid the frustrated wrath of Vernon. But that was the least of his worries.

He was twiddling his thumbs. If Mrs. Vesters really did have a talk with Dudley, he didn't wager she would protect his identity. And then Dudley would really let him have it.

He put his head back and groaned. Why, oh why had Cho forced him to tell Vesters?

Suddenly his body flinched when he remembered. The Bench collapsed underneath him, but he hardly noticed.

Cho, his first and only friend in the world, had invited him over for dinner that night! He picked himself out of the remaining scraps of the former furniture and began to pace, knowing immediately he would need a plan.

After all, he was Harry Potter, and nothing came easy for him.

He would have to ask Vernon, which would be a challenge. All of the Dursleys took a special pleasure in refusing to allow him to get something he wanted, and Vernon was no exception. In fact, he was the mastermind.

However, Vernon also hated having him around. This would keep him out of their hair for the whole night. He couldn't help but smile. Oh, what a conundrum this would be for the beet-faced man.

Harry waited until 5:30, which was "Dursley family tea-time." He was, of course, not allowed, but this was when Vernon was in the best mood, so he decided he would have too risk it.

He was in his cupboard, playing chess with the set he found in a trash when he was 9, when he heard the daily call of; "Tea time!" By Aunt Petunia.

Moments later, dust fell from the bottom of the steps as Dudley mad a special point of stomping on the steps, just for Harry.

He decided to wait a good five minutes for them too get settled, before he slowly opened his cupboard. In front of him was a sight that could have been photographed and put in a "Home- Design" Magazine. A whole family of happy, well fed, snobbish people sitting in a room of extravagantly hallmark decor, drinking tea. Yup, that's about right.

But as soon as he quietly made his way over to the family, Petunia snapped. "You get back to your cupboard, child! You can come out in a few minutes to clean up, if you must be out so badly!"

"Please!" said Harry, standing awkwardly before the very people that believed him to be the Devil's spawn, "Uncle Vernon, I have a really important question."

Uncle Vernon swallowed the bit of roll he was consuming, his neck flab practically bouncing. "Listen to your Aunt, boy!" He snapped, crumbs flying out of his mouth grotesquely.

"Uncle, if you would hear me out, I have a deal that I think you'll find to be most pleasing." He said, again adopting his "respectful" voice. This was so embarrassing. He wanted to murder them all, right here and now.

Uncle Vernon raised his eyebrow. He despised Harry, but he was a business man, and deals were his forte. He flattened out his bib and raised an eyebrow. "Fine. You have two minutes. Shoot."

Harry sucked in a quick breathe and said quickly, "One of my Friends has invited me too Dinner tonight,"

"Ha! You've got no friends!" Laughed Dudley, stuffing two rolls into the bottomless pit located on his face.

Harry chose to ignore that comment and continued, "And if you let me go-"

"Absolutely not. Now go," snapped Vernon, already going back on his promise for two minutes, and he reached for his tea.

"Please, Uncle Vernon, I'l do your laundry for a month! I'll be out of your hair for the night!"

Vernon just shrugged. "You'll be out of my hair and in your cupboard anyway," He paused and took a sip of the tea, "And You'll do my laundry if I tell you, regardless of the circumstance. Good day,"

Harry turned away, defeated and fuming, before Uncle Vernon said, "Just out of curiosity, who's the little freak that would even consider inviting you to dinner?"

Harry clenched his fist, trying to hide the rage in his voice as he turned back and muttered, "Her name's Cho,"

Dudley spit out the tea that he had in his mouth all over the carpet. Petunia squeaked and ran off the kitchen to get the paper towels.

"Not Cho _Chang_?" Dudley sputtered.

Harry just nodded.

Vernon looked in confusion between the two before saying, "Why? What's so special about this Ching girl?"

"Cho Chang," Dudley corrected, his voice taking over a dreamy quality, "Is the prettiest girl in school," His had snapped to look at Harry as fast as his bulging neck would allow and he sneered, "Why would she invite you to Dinner?"

Harry shrugged.

Petunia walked back into the room with the paper towels and patted Dudley's hair. "Aww, does my little Dudders have a girlfriend!" She then bent over to clean up the mess on the floor.

But Vernon's mouth had pulled up into a creepy, thoughtful smile. Harry, frightened, backed away. "I-I'm just gonna get back into my cupboard...""

"No," Said Vernon, his voice taking an intimidating and amused tone. "Harry, you may go too this- Lang was it? Yes, you may go too her house for Dinner tonight."

Harry was in disbelief. He was going? Was he dreaming? Then his heart sank when something in his brain clicked. Whenever Vernon said his first name, something very bad was in store.

"If...?" Harry pressed, seeing Vernon was already bursting with pride at the condition he had come up with.

"If you introduce Dudley to her on Monday."

Harry gaped. Dudley gasped and then stared at Harry with hopeful eyes. Petunia looked at him expectantly, and Vernon just beamed, obviously feeling like a genius.

Harry sighed, feeling defeated. "Cho sure won't be happy about this," He thought.

He seriously considered refusing, for Cho's sake. But now the idea was in Dudley's brain, so he would probably be forced to do it eventually. So he nodded. "Deal." He muttered, his eyes falling to the floor in shame.

"Good. Now get out of my sight, boy."

At precisely 6:30, Harry slowly opened his cupboard and glanced around.

Vernon was watching the News on the telly, with the other two... family members nowhere to be found.

As Harry made his way to the front door, he was stopped.

"Harry, come here."

Harry froze and looked around. Vernon was still viewing the Telly, but there was no denying it had been him speaking.

Harry slowly approached the living room, his nerves scattered. The fact that his name had been used twice in one night was already a flashing red light. Had his Uncle changed his mind?

"Sit." Vernon's mustache twitched, his eyes still glue to the news as the attractive anchor lady reported on the recent developments in American and Russian Nuclear Warfare, and how Britain planned on dealing with it.

Harry sat.

"Poppycock," muttered Vernon. "Let the two bastard countries make their little dramatic scenes, it doesn't mean we have to go and join in."

He seemed to have forgotten Harry, so the boy cleared his throat.

"Oh, right yes," Said Vernon, straightening his collar and turning towards Harry.

"You see, kid, this Chow girl-"

"Cho." Interjected Harry.

"Don't interrupt me!" Snapped Vernon, his caterpillar eyebrows meeting in a scowl. "This Cho girl, her parents might not be pleased with-with,"

He couldn't seem to find the words to describe it, so he started a completely new sentence.

"Look, boy, I'll make this clear and simple for you: Don't tell her parents about the cupboard. Don't tell them about your chores, don't tell them about your never receiving Birthday presents, don't tell them." Vernon's face remained clearly indifferent throughout this entire statement.

Harry, however, was stunned.

He had always assumed the Dursley's were living in denial about their beyond cruel treatment of him. But his Uncle, some of his only living family, had just talked about it like you talk about football, or the weather.

And suddenly anger bubbled up inside him like water over a fire. How could someone be so casually cruel and dark hearted?

"_Smash!_" Behind Vernon, one of the vases that petunia like to keep around shattered. No, it exploded. pieces flew in every direction. Vernon jumped off the couch and, due to his complete lack of the slightest athleticism, tumbled forward, smashing the coffee table beneath his hulking belly.

Harry chose that moment to utter a quick, "I promise!" and hurry towards the door.

Vernon was red faced as Petunia rushed in, screeching in her most high-pitched note.

The last thing Harry saw was Vernon giving him a suspicious glare as he was aided off the shattered wood.

But then he was out the door, and he possessed no hesitation as he slammed the door behind him and began a wild sprint for the Chang's.

And he couldn't help but grin the entire time.

About 5 minutes later, he arrived at Cho's door just as darkness swallowed the street and the street lamps turned on.

After he rang the doorbell, he took a step back and shivered. How had he not noticed the wind before? It was chilling the air something fierce.

And suddenly, the door flew open and the entire lawn was flooded with light. "Harry!" Cho hugged him tight, and he bit back a wince.

"Hi," Smiled Harry, before being tugged forcibly into the house.

"DAAADDDDD!" Cried Cho, pulling Harry into the kitchen.

"Cho, dear, I am here." An older asian man with a seceded Hairline and a lanky body walked in . From the five words Harry heard him said, he could tell he had an odd accent which comprised of a mixture of eastern Asian and Scottish.

He beamed widely and moved forward to shake hands. "Harry! Very good to finally meet you! Cho has spoken much of you!" He shook hands vigorously, and Harry managed to spit out, "Likewise!"

wasted no time in in preparing dinner, and in mere moments Harry was chowing down on rice and orange chicken, which was the best he'd ever had.

Halfway through the joking and laughing meal (Mr. Chang had the best jokes!) Mr Chang asked a question that took Harry by surprise. "So, Harry, my friend, what do you wish to be when you become an adult? Surely a homeless person? You must be practicing?" He indicated Harry's large, raggy clothes.

Harry chuckled while Cho gave a cry of "Dad!". But he didn't mind. Mr. Chang had a way of poking fun at you, but in a good way. Not like the kids at school did.

But what did he want to be when he grew up? He had never really thought about it. All he ever wanted was to get out of the Dursley's. He had always enjoyed flying high on the swings, it was just such a rush he never got tired of. But then again, he had always wanted to stop criminals from hurting others the way bullies hurt him.

And suddenly it hit him. "I want to be in the royal air force."

Mr. Chang smiled and snickered: "Oh, a flier, huh. I have always thought Cho would fly, since she always has her head in the clouds."

"Do not!" Snapped Cho through a mouthful of rice as Harry and Mr. Chang laughed.

It happened so quick Harry had trouble remembering afterwards.

A car passed by, and it's lights hit the Chang's windows.

He gasped, his eyes wild. his fork clattered on his plate. Standing there, in the window, was a man.

And just as quick as he came, he was gone.

A/N; So a quick back petal. In the next few chapters, they will be getting their Hogwarts letters and such


End file.
